Nothing But The Truth
by Kat Lee formerly Pirate Turner
Summary: The truth is he feels like no Angel. Het.


Title: "Nothing But The Truth"  
Author: Pirate Turner  
Rating: PG-13  
Summary: The truth is he feels like no Angel.  
Warnings: Het  
Word Count: 1,119  
Date Written: 6 June, 2012  
Challenge: There was no real challenge for this one, but I added the challenge to a LJ meme concerning characters in an effort to break loose from a dose of writer's block at the time.  
Disclaimer: Warren "Angel" Worthington III, Elizabeth "Betsy" "Psylocke" Braddock, Doctor Henry "Hank" "Beast" McCoy, Trish Tilby, all other recognizable characters mentioned within, and the X-Men are ﾩ & TM Marvel comics and Disney, not the author. Everything else is ﾩ & TM the author. The author makes absolutely no profit off of this work of fan fiction, and no copyright infringement is intended.

He flew high above the city, his arms empty and his wings heavy. Being in the sky, so far above all the other people that it made both grounded mutants and humans alike look like little dots, usually brought him happiness, but today, despite the clear blue of the sky, the fluffiness of the clouds, and the fact that there wasn't a single bird in sight to tease or squawk at him, Warren's spirits were still darkened. He couldn't forget the argument he'd had with Betsy and felt every bit as much the opposite of his codename.

"Angel." The sound of Beast calling his name to bring his attention back to the physical fight against their enemy earlier and not his ongoing battle with Betts echoed in his ears. Warren smirked. He was no Angel. Angels were supposed to be as perfect a being as one could get without being an actual deity, and Betsy had certainly made every one of his flaws frustratingly clear lately.

Yet he missed her as he flew. He'd missed her when he walked through town, ignoring the looks of both women and men walking by him. He knew he was handsome, but it didn't matter if every other woman in the city wanted him if Betsy didn't. And it was all because some stupid tabloid reporter had decided to print an article mentioning that he'd had a date at the last society event he'd had to attend without Betsy on his arm.

Actually, Warren reflected, it wasn't just any tabloid reporter. Trish Tilby had known full and well that Betsy had been away on a mission; after all, Psylocke had been in the news. Yet that had not stopped the woman from ripping into him and putting the latest Playboy model on his arm. Warren sighed. Hank really needed to learn to control his exgirlfriends, but then again, what X-Man hadn't had trouble with an ex before? At least, Tilby hadn't tried to kill any of them yet, although Warren thought that would be preferable to having Betsy so angry at him.

There was only one thing for it, he decided. He had to make it right. Folding his wings, Warren dropped from the sky like a bullet and dove straight into Tilby's corner office. Screams erupted, but he ignored all the other reporters running and cameramen snapping pictures as he whirled on Trish.

"Angel!" She had the audacity to smile up at him. "Did you come for that one-on-one interview I asked you for?"

"None of us will be doing an interview for you in the future, Tilby, especially not after the trash you've been reporting!"

She blinked innocently up at him. "Why, whatever are you talking about?"

He yelled. There were no words in his yell, just a pure, incoherent scream of frustration. Trish slunk back away from her desk as he slammed his fists down on it. "You know blasted well to what I'm referring!" Every inch of his body shook; his pure, white feathers trembled. "You lied! That model threw herself at me, and I put her down! I told her I wasn't interested! I did not escort her to the party! I did not wine and dine her, and I most certainly DID NOT TAKE HER BACK HOME WITH ME! I DIDN'T EVEN GO HOME THAT NIGHT; I WENT ON ANOTHER MISSION TO SAVE HUMANS LIKE YOU WHO PERSIST IN CAUSING TROUBLE FOR THEMSELVES AND THOSE AROUND THEM!"

Trish's shaking lips curved slowly upwards into a hesitant smile. "You know," she said, crossing her long legs and grabbing her pen and paper, "if you agree to that interview I requested, I could make all this go away."

Warren shook his head. "You _will_ make this go away, Tilby. You will write an apology tomorrow and reprint your story with the true facts."

She smirked. "Or what?"

He hesitated. She had him there. He was an X-Man; he couldn't hurt the dame, no matter how much he ached to rip apart her big, lying lips.

"Huh?" some one from behind them called. "Mister Angel, sir?"

"WHAT?!" Warren snapped, whirling on the newcomer. He snarled at the microphone being thrust into his face. "I'm sorry, sir. It's just - We're live." Trish screamed as the other reporter, at the one who she knew had been eyeing her position for months, continued, "Here's your chance to tell the true story of what happened that night."

Warren paused in surprise. His blue eyes gleamed. His feathers ruffled, then slowly began to fold back together onto his slender back. This time, he smirked at Trish, and then he turned, with his best and most charming smile, to face the camera. "The truth is, there is only one woman I love, and her name is Elizabeth Braddock. Another truth is that the reporter behind me has been feeding the public lies for months."

He kept talking even as Trish continued screaming, telling the public the truth of every X-Men story she had printed since her breakup with Hank. At one point, she rushed the camera, but he beat her back with his wings, being as gentle as he could while keeping her at bay. The security of her own office came to retrieve her after a few more minutes and pulled her, screaming at the top of her lungs, out of the building. Warren just kept smiling and talking, as if the camera and the single person whom he most hoped was listening were the only other beings in the world.

It proved to be the longest interview Warren had ever given, but it was also the most rewarding. By the time he returned to the mansion, the lawn was full of his team mates waiting for him to come home. Bobby spotted him first, from where he was perched on top of one of many ice bridges, and began to clap. Hank and others joined in, but even his friends, at this point, didn't matter to Warren.

He touched lightly down upon the ground, searching their faces for one in particular but not finding her. Then he was tackled from behind. He whirled around in the familiar arms hugging him tightly, lifting them into the air as he did so. "I told you," he breathed against Betsy's grinning lips as soon as he could get her in front of him, "you're the only one for me. I love you!" He didn't even give her a chance to answer his declaration as he pressed his lips to hers and kissed her long and deep. They flew into the air amongst applause and stayed in the clouds as they finished making up and made slow, sweet, and wonderful true love.

**The End**


End file.
